Author: Platform Times Newspaper

The Federal Government has issued a directive mandating all Vice-Chancellors, Rectors, and Provosts of Nigerian tertiary institutions to publish key institutional data on their official websites by May 31, 2025, in a bid to promote transparency and good governance. The Minister of Education, Dr. Morufu-Tunji Alausa, emphasized that the move is designed to enhance accountability within the country’s higher education system. According to a statement from the Ministry’s Director of Press and Public Relations, Boriowo Folasade, the institutions are required to disclose detailed information regarding their budgetary allocations, research grants, and student population. The Ministry’s directive mandates that institutions publish…

The detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, has expressed strong optimism that he will be granted bail by the end of April 2025, after spending four years in detention. Kanu made this statement during a visit by the President-General of the Igbo Community Association (ICA), Engr. Ikenna Ellis-Ezenekwe, at the Department of State Services (DSS) facility in Abuja, where he is being held. According to a statement issued by Ezenekwe, Kanu appeared upbeat and in good health during the meeting, surprising many given the difficult circumstances of his detention. Ezenekwe described Kanu as “healthier…

Nigerian media personality and actress Omotunde Adebowale-David, popularly known as Lolo 1, has bravely opened up about her painful experience of being sexually assaulted by a male colleague in the broadcasting industry. Speaking during an episode of the Say My Piece podcast, which she co-hosts, Lolo revealed that the assault left her with lasting emotional scars. However, she admitted she was not ready to share all the details of the incident, fearing criticism for not speaking out sooner. “I hardly ever say this, and I am not even ready to tell the full story. The stories of sexual assault. When…

Two Chinese nationals and a Nigerian police officer were shot dead on Friday evening in Uturu, Isuikwuato Local Government Area of Abia State, following an ambush by unknown gunmen, the Abia State Police Command has confirmed. The incident occurred as the victims were en route to a company site located at Agukwu-Amaya in the Ndundu community when the convoy came under heavy attack. Those killed in the assault were identified as Mr. Quan and Mr. Cai, both Chinese expatriates, and Inspector Audu Saidu, one of the escort officers. According to a statement issued on Saturday by the state police spokesperson,…

The Nigeria Police Force has invited the Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, for questioning over a violent incident that claimed the life of a vigilante during the recent Eid-el-Fitr celebration in the state. Sanusi, who led the Eid prayer at the Kofar Mata Eid ground on Sunday, has been asked to appear at the Force Intelligence Department (FID) headquarters in Abuja on April 8. The invitation follows the killing of Surajo Rabiu, a vigilante from the Sabon Titi Jaba area, who was reportedly stabbed during a clash involving members of Sanusi’s entourage. The incident occurred shortly after the Eid…

The Minister of Education, Prof. Olatunji Alausa, has proposed the extension of the mandatory National Youth Service Corps scheme from one year to two years, as part of wider reforms to enhance national development through education. Alausa made the call on Friday during a courtesy visit by the NYSC Director-General, Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, to his office in Abuja. The minister also advocated for a robust review of the NYSC Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) programme to equip corps members with more practical and employable skills. According to a statement shared on the NYSC’s official Facebook page, Alausa said…

Nigeria’s total public debt stock surged to N144.67tn ($94.23bn) as of December 31, 2024, reflecting a 48.58 per cent increase from the N97.34tn ($108.23bn) recorded a year earlier, the Debt Management Office has revealed. The DMO disclosed the figures in its latest report released on Friday, showing an alarming year-on-year growth of N47.32tn in the country’s debt profile, amid rising concerns over the sustainability of Nigeria’s borrowing strategy. On a quarter-on-quarter basis, the debt rose by N2.35tn or 1.65 per cent, from N142.32tn ($88.89bn) at the end of September 2024. A breakdown of the debt components shows that external borrowings…

Some stakeholders at the Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, Yaba, Lagos State, have petitioned anti-graft agencies, demanding a probe into alleged financial misconduct and administrative irregularities by the hospital’s Medical Director, Dr Olugbenga Owoeye. In the petition signed by one Victor Ajasegun and obtained by our correspondent, the petitioners alleged that Owoeye had, over the past four years, mismanaged hospital funds, particularly those meant for patients’ welfare, and diverted patients to his private clinic. The petition claimed that since his appointment, the hospital had witnessed a decline in service delivery, with decisions being made unilaterally and without stakeholder input. They accused Owoeye…

There was a wave of panic in parts of northern Nigeria and neighbouring West African countries following the abrupt shutdown of Voice of America (VOA)’s radio services, a move triggered by funding cuts ordered by the United States President Donald Trump. The unexpected disappearance of VOA’s Hausa-language broadcasts in Nigeria, Ghana, Niger, and Cameroon has left millions of loyal listeners—particularly in rural, conflict-ridden, and media-starved regions—cut off from trusted international news sources. The shutdown, which began last month, was first noticed by startled listeners in northern Nigeria when music, rather than scheduled news content, began playing during usual broadcast hours—a…

The Nigerian Army has vehemently countered assertions made by the police regarding the recent rescue operation of Israeli citizen Gil Itamar, who was abducted in Taraba State. Captain Oni Olubodunde, spokesperson for the Army’s 6 Brigade, clarified that military operatives, supported by other security agencies, executed the successful rescue mission. In a direct response to claims made by the Taraba State Police Command, Captain Olubodunde emphasized that the military, acting on credible intelligence, rescued Mr. Itamar without resorting to gunfire. He dismissed the police’s assertion that the victim had military escorts at the time of abduction as misleading and cautioned…